Today is one of those rare days that I am not quite sure what to blog about. Usually, I have a thought and it develops into, ‘oh, I must write about that!’ But today, there has not been a thought, so I will write a bit of what has been on my mind over the past 24 hours.
Mike came home yesterday with the news that a colleague had died suddenly and at work. Even though he wasn’t working in his building, news spread fast that he had collapsed and died while on the job. It was sobering. A few years younger than Mike, this man was also nearing retirement and didn’t get there.
Mike is due to retire in 8 months time. It would be for us a tragedy if he died before having the wonderful opportunity of enjoying the freedom that retirement brings. I have had a taste of it over the last year and it’s been a treat.
As I pondered these things, two thoughts came to mind. One is that our lives are in God’s hands. We need to trust Him and enjoy each day as it comes. Secondly, there have to be a number of 90 year old men around and I am hopeful that Mike will one day, be one of them. Whenever I cast my mind forward a year and find myself saying, “this time next year…” he quickly interjects and says he won’t look ahead….he’ll just focus on today.
Mike is true to the Bible
James 4:13-15
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
One thing I am enjoying is that Mike has a lot of leave due to him, so he is taking relatively regular long weekends. It’s been fantastic having him home for a few days at a time. I miss him when he goes back to work.
Life comes with seasons and this ‘end of career’ season is bitter-sweet. We look forward to him being at home, but don’t want to rush the 8 months and wish the time away. So it all comes down, again, to trying to focus on today. To make today count. Life is uncertain. Today is what we have. Now is the moment we can enjoy.
So let’s do that.
Let’s lean forward, smell the roses, breath in the fresh air, smile at a stranger, hug our kids and our cats, our friends and our family a little harder. Let’s appreciate the strength we have to live today because we do not know what tomorrow brings.
Praise the Lord for His faithfulness in our lives. One thing we do know for sure and that is that God is the same yesterday, today and forever. Wherever we are tomorrow, He is there already. He goes before us, to strengthen and uphold us and to carry us to Himself when the time is right. So fear not, my friend, just go and enjoy today.
And now I’m going to make Mike a cup of tea.
Keep the smile going.
God bless you!
In His Grip,
Helga xx 🙂
2 Responses to The Uncertainty of Life